Table of contents

HOUSES OF AUSTIN CANONS

46. THE PRIORY OF BOLTON

The priory of Austin canons, afterwards moved
in 1151 (fn. 1) to Bolton, was originally founded at
Embsay (fn. 2) in Skipton, by William Meschines and
Cecilia de Romeli his wife, lady of Skipton, in
1120. (fn. 3) The foundation charter, (fn. 4) addressed to
Archbishop Thurstan, records that they had
given to Reynold, the prior, the church of
Holy Trinity of Skipton, with the chapel of
Carleton and the whole vill of 'Emmesey,' for a
church of regular canons.

By a separate charter, (fn. 5) Cecilia de Romeli
granted to the church of St. Mary and St. Cuthbert of Embsay, and the canons there, the whole
vill of Kildwick, and her son-in-law William,
nephew of the king of Scotland, and Aeliz de
Romeli his wife, (fn. 6) confirmed to the church of
Embsay the church of All Saints of Broughton
in Craven.

In 1151, (fn. 7) with the consent of Aeliz de Romeli,
then patroness, (fn. 8) the canons were moved to Bolton,
where she gave, with consent of her son William,
the capital manor of Bolton in exchange for
other lands. This exchange was confirmed by
Henry II. (fn. 9) A charter of Aeliz de Romeli,
confirming the gifts of William de Meschines
and her mother, gives full details of the boundaries of the lands given to the canons 'ecclesiæ
tunc apud Embesiam, nunc apud Boelton commorantibus.' (fn. 10)

There was some connexion between Bolton
and the priory of Huntingdon which is not
very clear. The church of Skipton was part of
the foundation gift of William de Meschines
and Cecilia de Romeli to the canons when at
Embsay, but in a charter of confirmation by
Henry I to the priory of Huntingdon is included (fn. 11)
'ecclesiam S. Trinitatis de Scipeton cum omnibus
sibi pertinentibus sicut idem Willelmus [Meschin]
eam eis [canonicis de Huntingdon] dedit et
confirmavit.' There are two charters printed (fn. 12)
relating to the 'subjection' of Bolton to Huntingdon, which, however, throw little light on the
matter, especially as the church of Skipton
seems to have belonged without any real interruption to Bolton. Neither makes allusion to
the church of Skipton as the reason of the subjection, or states what the Prior and canons of
Huntingdon meant by their claim; but the
second of the deeds, entitled 'Carta de Absolutione Prioris de Boelton de Subjectione Priori
de Huntendone,' (fn. 13) addressed to G[eoffrey],
Archbishop of York 1191 to 1206, by R[oald],
Prior of Guisbrbugh, and W [ ], (fn. 14) Prior of
Marton, states that as the apostolic commissaries of Celestine III (1198 to 1216) they
had declared the Prior and canons of Bolton
free from all subjection to Huntingdon. However, in the Compotus Roll, Michaelmas 1324
to Michaelmas 1325, (fn. 15) the canons of Bolton
paid £5 6s. 8d. pro pensione de Huntyngdon.
The whole affair is, unfortunately, obscure.

Dr. Whitaker, speaking of the establishment
as revealed from the accounts of the priory from
1290 to 1325, (fn. 16) says that it consisted of a prior,
who had lodgings with a hall and a chapel,
stables, &c., detached from the main building,
and that there were fifteen canons and two
conversi, (fn. 17) besides the armigeri or gentlemen
dependent on the house, who had clothing,
board, and lodging, the liberi servientes within
and without, and the garciones or villeins. Of free
servants, intra curiam, there were about thirty,
such as the master carpenter, the master and
inferior cook, brewer, baker, &c., and Dr.
Whitaker's estimate is that the establishment
consisted of more than 200 persons, but many
of them were engaged on distant manors and
granges.

On 2 December 1267 (fn. 18) Archbishop Giffard
visited the priory of Bolton, when it was found
that Brother Hugh de Ebor' possessed private
money, which it was said he had placed at deposit,
or handed to his brother at York, or his sister, a
nun of St. Clement's. He was also charged
with incontinence, but that charge was not
proved. The whole convent had conspired by
oath against the predecessor of William de Danfield, the existing prior. John de Pontefracto,
the cellarer, was not fit for his office, and there
were many others much better suited for it.
Silence was not duly kept, and the sick not well
attended to, nor duly and humanely visited.
John de Ottele, a novice, did not willingly do
his duty according to rule. The cellarer and
sub-cellarer, whenever they could, absented
themselves from divine service, and did not take
their meals with the convent, but frequently,
after the refection of the convent, feasted themselves in the refectory. The prior appointed
custodians of the manors without consulting the
convent, and these it was believed rendered no
accounts. The accounts of the obedientiaries
were not rendered to the convent. It appeared
by the prior's own admission and by a writing
which he delivered to the archbishop, attested by
his seal, that he had excommunicated brothers
William Hog and Hugh de Ebor'.

The monastery owed various creditors the
sum of £324 5s. 7d., but the debt was not one
of usury, as it was not owed to merchants but
to neighbours. It had been incurred by the
predecessors of the present prior. Nicholas de
Broc, sub-prior, was aged and feeble, and not
competent for the spiritual rule of the house, and
voluntarily resigned. The convent was directed
to elect another fit for the charge, but as the
canons were not at first unanimous, the archbishop induced them to agree, and Ralph de Eston
was elected. The prior then confessed, certain
of the convent attesting it, that the statement
contained in the writing he had handed to the
archbishop, saying that he had excommunicated
William Hog and Hugh de Ebor', was untrue.
The archbishop reserved the punishment to be
inflicted on the prior for the untruthful writing.
Brothers William Hog and Hugh de Ebor' were
ordered to amend their ways, which had perturbed the convent, under threat of removal to
other houses. Possibly the prior was deposed, for
Richard de Bakhampton was prior in January
1274-5, when he resigned, and a yearly pension
of £20, with the use of certain dwellings at
Ryther, was assigned him in recognition of his
services. (fn. 19) His successor was William Hog, the
previous disturber of the peace of the convent,
to whose election the royal assent was given on
18 March 1274-5. (fn. 20) He must have come into
collision with the archbishop almost immediately,
for he was suspended, and on 29 September
1275 (fn. 21) the archbishop issued a notice of an
intended visitation for 7 October (fn. 22) following,
when a number of articles of inquiry as to the
prior were to be propounded, among them being
one as to whether he had continued to act as
prior after his suspension. The visitation was
duly held on the day appointed, and it was then
found by the confession of William Hog and
that of other of the canons that they had conspired
contrary to canon law against the archbishop.
The prior admitted that after his suspension he
had caused himself to be ministered to 'in mensa
cum tuallia ut priori,' and in the prior's chamber
as before, also that he had gone to York to
secure the liberation of certain canons whom
the archbishop had in custody for correction, and
that he had invoked the lay authority, both that
of the Sheriff of York and of others, and had
caused the common seal to be set to a certain
proxy for this end, by reason of which the goods
of the monastery were squandered. It was
further found that, owing to his neglect, certain
properties had been lost because fealty had not
yet been made to the Countess of Albemarle. (fn. 23)
Moreover, after notice of the visitation had been
given he had commanded the canons in virtue
of their obedience to agree with one another in
what they said at the visitation. Further, he
had turned out of the priory the archbishop's
servant who brought the letters thither. All
these offences proved, the archbishop then and
there pronounced sentence of deposition on the
prior. On 19 October all the canons, to the
number of thirteen, including the sub-prior,
whose names are given, recorded their votes in
favour of John de Lund, except the latter, who
voted for Thomas de Alna, and on 3 November
1275 the king signified to the archbishop his
assent to the election thus made. (fn. 24)

Five years later Archbishop Wickwane held a
visitation of Bolton, on 16 May 1280, (fn. 25) when he
issued a series of injunctions. Carols with locks,
and boxes (those of the obedientiaries alone excepted) were forbidden, and the locks of any,
wherever suspected, were to be opened by the
prior and three approved members of the house.
Money payments for clothes and shoes were not
to be made, but such were to be delivered to
each from the common tailor's shop.

The entrances to and exits from the cloister
and church were to be kept from the incursions
of outsiders. If any attempted to go out with
out good reason he was to fast on bread and
water on the day following. Wanderings over
the moors and in the woods totaliter interdicimus ab hoc hora.

Each canon and conversus was to confess regularly to the prior according to rule. No drinking, &c., was allowed after compline, except in
cases of necessity, and at all times drinking and
food which tended to pleasure or lasciviousness,
with any unlawful and disordered actions, was
wholly proscribed. Gossiping, which had prevailed in the absence of the prior, the archbishop
also forbade. Silence was to be observed according to rule, and no letter received or sent by anyone without leave of the president; Faults were
to be proclaimed in love and not vindictively,
and not more than was necessary was to be said.
Worn-out clothes were to be given to the poor,
and no one was to be admitted canon or conversus without the archbishop having first approved
of his behaviour. No boarder was to be taken
without the archbishop's express permission.

Certain serious defects in church, chapterhouse, and other buildings, were to be speedily
repaired.

Corrections in chapter were to be made without favour, with good zeal, and the sweetness of
charity. All were to obey the prior, and the prior
was to direct, and deal with all in true affection.

A visitation was held by Archbishop Romanus
on 15 July 1286, (fn. 26) when John de Lund resigned
and was specially commended for his services, an
annual pension and provision being made for
him. The archbishop, however, found the
priory so heavily in debt that it could not conveniently support its members. It would seem
that certain of the goods had been assigned to
individual members. This allocation he revoked,
in order to relieve the depression from which the
house was suffering, but it is not clearly stated
what it was that had been done and which he
annulled. His injunctions, which are very brief,
find no other fault with the condition of the
monastery. On 30 May 1291 (fn. 27) the archbishop wrote to the prior and convent to readmit William de Insula, an apostate canon
of the house, and two years later (18 April
1293), (fn. 28) as the canons were suffering from
losses owing to floods and mortality of their
cattle so that they were unable to maintain their
customary hospitality, he allowed them to consolidate the chapelry of Carlton in Craven with
their church of Skipton. On 25 October
1320 (fn. 29) Archbishop Melton wrote to the Prior
and convent of Worksop that the monastery of
Bolton, of their order, had been so wasted by
the invasion of the Scots, who on various occasions had destroyed its live stock and set fire to
its property, that it could no longer support its
college of canons, or maintain due hospitality;
and he therefore sent William de Rotherham,
one of the canons, to reside with them for a
time, at an annual charge of 5 marks payable
by Bolton. In like manner Thomas de Menyngham was sent to Nostell, Thomas de Coppelay
(soon afterwards prior) to Thurgarton, Laurence
de Wath to Shelford, Robert de Ripon to
Guisborough, Symon (or Richard) (fn. 30) de Ottelay
to Drax, John de Selby to Warter, and Stephen
de Thirneholm to Kirkham. How long the
dispersion lasted is not exactly known, but the
house seems to have soon recovered, and according to the account already alluded to
of its revenues and reprises from Michaelmas
1324 to Michaelmas 1325, the income was
£444 17s. 4¾d., whereas in 1535 the revenues
were only £302 9s. 3d., in the whole, and but
£212 3s. 4d. clear.

In 1367 (fn. 31) Archbishop Thoresby confirmed
a chantry founded in the conventual church by
Thomas de Bradeley and John de Otteley. It
was to be served by a secular chaplain, or failing a secular, by a regular, who was to do service
for the souls of Thomas de Ottirburn and Maud
his wife, and those of John de Bradeley and Mary
his wife.

On 14 November 1471 (fn. 32) Archbishop George
Nevill confirmed the election of Christopher
Lofthouse as prior, in succession to William
Man', resigned, when the following provision
was made for the latter. He was to receive
£7 6s. 8d. yearly in money, and was assigned
a chamber for his habitation at the west end of
the common hall of the priory, with a garden
and the easements belonging to it, sufficient fuel
to burn in his chamber, and fourteen loaves of
white bread called lez miches, of like weight to
those which each of the canons was wont to
receive, and fourteen lagenas of the better ale, and
flesh, fish, and other eatables, to the amount which
two canons were wont to receive. Besides this,
William Man' was, during his life, to have a
servant to attend him, who every week was to
be supplied with seven loaves called le leverey
loves, half of them to be of white bread, and the
other half de mediocri sive de medio pane, also
seven loaves deterioris panis of the same weight
as the loaves which the chief forester of the
priory was accustomed to receive, and meat, fish,
and other food such as the chief forester had, and
two lagenas of the better ale, and two deterioris
cervisie.

In 1482 (fn. 33) Archbishop Rotherham issued a
set of injunctions; the majority are in general
terms, and refer to the due observances of the
canonical life. The frequent access to and gossiping at the priory of women is forbidden, as
grave scandal had arisen from it in regard to the
prior and some of the canons. Neither the
prior nor canons were to hold private confabulations with any suspected women, either in the
church or other secret places, within or outside
the priory, by which evil report might arise.
The priory was heavily in debt, and the prior
and convent were enjoined to abstain from
burdensome expenses, as far as possible, for the
honour of the house, so that it might soon be
freed from debt. Owing to its debts they were
forbidden to grant pensions, fees, or annual rents
to any persons whatsoever under the common
seal or otherwise, or to sell corrodies, or liveries,
or to make grants or alienations of their possessions, or of their woods, or to grant long leases of
their manors, without archiepiscopal licence.

All the moneys, accruing from whatever
source, were to be delivered to the prior, and
be in his custody, and at his disposal, and a
trustworthy and discreet canon was to be deputed
to keep an indentured roll, in which all the
receipts were to be entered. No one was to
keep a useless servant, who was a burden to the
house, or one super incontinencie vicio graviter
diffamatus.

An oath of Gilbert Marsden, the prior, follows
the injunctions, by which he promised that he
would not waste or dissipate the goods of the
priory, and would fulfil all the injunctions of the
archbishop, and if he failed in this, then he
undertook to resign his office, and forgo all
claim to a pension. It may be surmised that
all did not proceed satisfactorily, (fn. 34) for the next
year Gilbert Marsden resigned, and on 10 July
Archbishop Rotherham confirmed the election
of Christopher Wood in his place. Whether
Prior Marsden resigned under compulsion, or
voluntarily, is not clear, but a dispute arose
between the prior and convent on the one part,
and the two retired priors, Christopher Lofthouse and Gilbert Marsden, on the other, which
was settled on 29 October 1483 (fn. 35) by William
Poteman, the archbishop's vicar-general. Christopher Lofthouse was to be appointed to the
vicarage of Long Preston and have a chaplain
with cure of souls in charge of the parish for
him, who was to occupy the vicarage house and
have glebe to the value of 53s. 4d. annually,
Lofthouse receiving a pension of 21 marks
yearly, and all the profits of the church of Harewood, till 2 February next ensuing. Gilbert
Marsden was to have an annual pension of
25 marks and arrears of 53s. 4d., and, it is oddly
added, the use of a certain silver bowl as long
as he wished; but he was to redeem that bowl
with another he had pledged within a year, or
pay the prior and convent their value, and as
long as he lived, unless the archbishop with
consent of the prior and convent directed otherwise, was to urge no other claim against the
prior and convent.

In 1528 (fn. 36) Prior Richard and the convent of
Bolton granted to William Wall the office of
porter, assigning him certain wages and livery of
food. 'The sayd Wylliam shall loke upon all
strangears and take and brynge thame to oyr
offycers wt in, for ye well and ye worshyp of ye
sayd hows of Bolton. Also yt he or hys servaunt
shall loke upon ye gest beddes as hays beyn accustomyd, and to loke upon all meyn persons comyng
to ye sayd hows, and se yt thay be logyd accordyng to yr degre. Arid also ye sayd Wylliam
shall se yt all pore folkes resortyng to ye sayd
hows for Almes shalbe servyd as custome hays
beyn. And also yt ys covenantyd and grantyd
betwyx ye sayd parteys, yt ye sayd Wylliam shall
not have wt in ye demayns of ye sayd hows
nother cow nor hors wt owt a specyall lycence,
and yt he shall not kepe in ye yate hows nother
hys wyff, ne no other woman, except he be
agyd or dyseasyd and may not help himselff.'
He was further to suffer no misrule, or allow the
presence of any suspected person, under pain of
forfeiting his appointment. William Wall was
living at the Dissolution, when this appointment
was commuted at 53s. 4d. annually.

A lease made in 1537 (fn. 37) deals with property
at Embsay, and described the boundaries of the
land there 'by meres or boundes from oon certeyn stone lying on Byrkbanke, wherupon ther
is wrought by a mason oon Anlett of that oon
syde and a Toone and a bolte (fn. 38) on that other
syde, and so frome that stone to other stones so
marked.'

The will of Richard Moone, the last prior, was
proved at York 28 July 1541. (fn. 39) He bequeathed
his body to be buried in the chancel of the
church of Catton (in the East Riding, near Stamford Bridge). The will proceeds: 'I give and
bequeath xx marc at Bolton, and in the parishinge wher I was borne to power people. Itm.
my chales to Preston (fn. 40) churche wher I was
borne, to serve the parishe with. Itm. my vestment, silver crewettes, and all other thinges
belonginge to my altare, to serve theme that
commes to her, [hear] service at Bolton. Item
to the repayringe of the saide churche of Bolton
vjli xiijs viijd.'

Prior Moone and fourteen canons surrendered
the house on 29 January 1540. A yearly pension of £40 was assigned to the prior, and sums
varying from £6 13s. 4d. to £4 were granted
to the canons.

22. Ibid. It may have been in connexion with these
disputes that an inquisition was held at Skipton on
28 Feb. 1274-5, when the jurors stated on their oath
that from the foundation of the priory the lords of
Albemarle in time of vacancy had only one man as
warden of the gates of the priory to defend the house
from injury, and that the canons without asking leave
from their patrons of Albemarle could freely elect a
prior, whom they presented to the said patrons, but
whereas the priory held of their patrons in chief
6½ carucates of land, in the mean time they were
seized, though they had no other rights therefrom,
and when the prior was installed he paid the accustomed relief for the said carucates. Yorks. Inq. i, 151.

30. 'Pro frater Symone de Otteley vel Ricardo de
Otteley' (Ibid. Melton, fol. 141b, &c.). In 1378-9
there were nineteen members of the house including
the prior and sub-prior (Subs. R. [P.R.O.], bdle. 63,
no. 10), and in 1380-1 the prior, thirteen canons, and
five conversi (Ibid. no. 12). On 27 Feb. 1397 the
chapter of York (sed. vac.) summoned the prior and
convent to appear before certain commissioners to
give account of the reputed disregard of the rules
which prevailed at Bolton, and on 13 Apr. following
they commissioned Richard de Skypse, vicar of
Slaidburn, to correct the abuses revealed at the 'inquisition,' but no particulars are given.